OH! How We Love To Meddle

OH HOW WE LOVE to meddle. We may call it by other names, of course. Motherly concern. Friendly advice. A word to the wise. But when we boil it down and take a good look at what’s left in the bottom of the pot, it’s really just plain old-fashioned meddling.

Rebekah thought she had a good reason to meddle.(But don’t we always think we have a good reason?) During her pregnancy, her twin baby boys wrestled in her womb for position. That’s when God told her that Esau, her older son, would serve Jacob the younger. Now her husband was preparing to give the blessing and all of its benefits to Esau. She had to do something – fast! So she meddled.

You know, a funny thing happens when we meddle. We usually succeed: something changes. But succeeding can come with a high price tag – much higher than we ever expected to pay. The price Rebekah paid for meddling was painfully high. She turned her sons against one another. She sent Jacob away to escape Esau’s wrath, never to see him again. She alienated herself from her husband and her firstborn son. But worst of all, she deprived herself of seeing how God would have fulfilled his promise to her.

If you search your Bible, you won’t find any verses telling you to trust in your own ways or to interfere in other people’s business because God can’t handle it. You won’t find God telling you to meddle so that his perfect will can be done. God doesn’t encourage his people to scheme or to plan or to quickly come up with something – anything! If you are frantically trying to figure out what to do, it’s a good clue that you need to slow down, take a deep breath and take a giant step back.

Love To Meddle? Stop Meddling

Instead of wasting your energy meddling, try pouring your energy into meditating. Meditate on God’s goodness, his faithfulness, his character traits and his promises. When you begin turning your eyes to the Lord rather than sticking your nose into other people’s business, you will soon discover that he is always busy intervening on behalf of his people – including you and the people you love.